Hi everyone! I'm a second year ID student; we just finished our foundation analog drawing class last semester, and we're currently about halfway through the digital drawing class. Basically, my classmates and I keep coming back to the same set of questions about how the drawing stuff actually gets used in the industry. We've asked around to a few professors, but I figured I'd put them to you guys and cast a little bit of a wider net.

Here goes:

- How much do you use analog vs. digital drawing? (Across the whole process, from preliminary sketches to a 'final' piece you'd present to clients?

- Do you use mainly analog for one part of the process and then mostly digital for another?

- If you do use mostly analog/digital for certain things, do you ever find yourself in a position where you have to cross over and use the other? If someone's super comfortable doing final marker renderings but hates doing finals digitally, can they get away with just being The Marker Guy forever? Vice versa, can you get away with always using digital?

- Related: do you wish you'd spent more time in school working on the format you're less comfortable with, or do you think students should focus on just getting really good at one or the other?

- How much flexibility do you have to choose whether you want to use digital or analog? We had a talk with a guy who said that the standard in his office is to use Sketchbook for 100% of their preliminary sketches. They might do a rough napkin sketch with a pen, but basically everything that moves beyond that point is digital. Does your boss usually dictate the format they want, or is it generally up to your personal preferences?

- If you work with/manage new graduates, would you rather that schools emphasize one format over the other? Have you run into issues with students that were mainly trained in one format? What drawing skills are most important to you when hiring?

Sorry there's so many questions! We've really been coming back to this conversation over and over, and I'd love to hear any thoughts you guys have.

- How much do you use analog vs. digital drawing? (Across the whole process, from preliminary sketches to a 'final' piece you'd present to clients?

60 % Analog, 40 % Digital.

- Do you use mainly analog for one part of the process and then mostly digital for another?

Analog for internal reviews, digital for client presentation.

- If you do use mostly analog/digital for certain things, do you ever find yourself in a position where you have to cross over and use the other? If someone's super comfortable doing final marker renderings but hates doing finals digitally, can they get away with just being The Marker Guy forever? Vice versa, can you get away with always using digital?

Cross over? All the time. For personal things doesn't matter if it's analog or digital or a mix of them. But sometimes deadlines and guidelines in work for certain projects... yes... they do matter !!. In example: We work for a client with a Graphic Design background, so

- Related: do you wish you'd spent more time in school working on the format you're less comfortable with, or do you think students should focus on just getting really good at one or the other?

the best sketches I've seen are a little mix of both worlds. So I guess improvement comes with time, rather than methods.

- How much flexibility do you have to choose whether you want to use digital or analog? We had a talk with a guy who said that the standard in his office is to use Sketchbook for 100% of their preliminary sketches. They might do a rough napkin sketch with a pen, but basically everything that moves beyond that point is digital. Does your boss usually dictate the format they want, or is it generally up to your personal preferences?

In my case, personal preference: doodling in analog, retouching in digital. Not so old school, not so modern. I've found my eyes get tired sooner in digital worflows, and health it's an issue, a big one.

- If you work with/manage new graduates, would you rather that schools emphasize one format over the other? Have you run into issues with students that were mainly trained in one format? What drawing skills are most important to you when hiring?

I would love to see much more work on the basics/fundamentals of sketching in schools (also related to the "creative process"). another thing I would advice it's to prvide comprehensive methods to build confidence in the generations of desinergs to come. A lot of people want to draw only in digital, but in some meetings or reviews, a paper and pen or pencil are just the right way to do.

About the skills I can say: Those skills that allows an entire team to make decisions.

- How much do you use analog vs. digital drawing? (Across the whole process, from preliminary sketches to a 'final' piece you'd present to clients?

90 % Analog, 10 % Digital.

- Do you use mainly analog for one part of the process and then mostly digital for another?

I mostly use quick sketches to communicate ideas. I do not hesitate to communicate with ballpoint sketches to clients - they can have a lot of character in themselves. Only when CAD modeling would be too preventive in terms of time and cost, we sometimes step to an intermediary digital sketch visualization.

- If you do use mostly analog/digital for certain things, do you ever find yourself in a position where you have to cross over and use the other? If someone's super comfortable doing final marker renderings but hates doing finals digitally, can they get away with just being The Marker Guy forever? Vice versa, can you get away with always using digital?

Yes, but some firms strictly work with digital visualizations so it is a good idea to master both media.Also the tools are now much more affordable - a $200 touchscreen 12" tablet + stylus will essentially give you an interactive drawing tablet.

- Related: do you wish you'd spent more time in school working on the format you're less comfortable with, or do you think students should focus on just getting really good at one or the other?

It's more important that you learn to sketch well than the media you use. And I advise to use only paper when you start sketching, because the learning process will be much faster. Then I suggest you start learning the digital media.

- How much flexibility do you have to choose whether you want to use digital or analog? We had a talk with a guy who said that the standard in his office is to use Sketchbook for 100% of their preliminary sketches. They might do a rough napkin sketch with a pen, but basically everything that moves beyond that point is digital. Does your boss usually dictate the format they want, or is it generally up to your personal preferences?

As an independent entrepreneur I adjust the tools towards the client - if we are rapidly creating a product on low budget some ballpoint sketches created in 30 minutes can be enough to spawn the needed ideas for the first phase. For other clients I involve days of ideation and digital visualizations to work out all the product visual and mechanical details.

- If you work with/manage new graduates, would you rather that schools emphasize one format over the other? Have you run into issues with students that were mainly trained in one format? What drawing skills are most important to you when hiring?

I would rather have a junior employee that can sketch well with just ballpoint or fineliner pens and have a clear line through his design thinking, than a master in effects and finishes that can't do the design thinking.

to set the context:23 years independent industrial designer (>100 clients), part-time teacher at UGent university in industrial design and design communication.80% digital 20% analogpersonal doodling is often done on a scrap piece of paper using the nearest ballpoint I can find. Although I'm picky on the flow of the ink (more expensive doesn't mean better here). Client projects almost always start of digital right away. For that I use mobile and desktop solutions. Mobile: Ipad pro + pencil + concepts and procreate and sometimes sketchbook pro when I need guides like symmetry. Macbook Pro with wacom intuous medium on mischief, Ps, Sketchbook ProDesktop: Macbook pro with wacom cintiq 27"

I never scan analog sketches anymore to enhance them digitally. Only to archive them. I graduated in 92' (yes) in a period when digital sketching was practically non existing. I mastered the art of using markers but since I discovered wacom in 1999 I hardly touched a marker since.

A big issue for me is my workflow. Sitting in a meeting sketching on the Ipad pro, sharing that screen to a bigger screen really facilitates the decision process. If there is a physical sample or mock-up on the table it's so easy to take a picture from one of the drawing apps and draw over a dimmed layer. Or if a 3D model exists of the basic shape or components that need to be integrated I load that model into a 3D viewer, take a screenshot and use that as layer. It's all about efficiency and powerful communication. As the designer at the table it's your job to make sure everybody understands.To do that on the spot in a qualitative way you need self-confidence. That comes from skill. To get there you need to practise (a lot). I my ID classes the students that excel are the ones that sketch all the time. To master a tool you need to spend time on it. What's very important as a designer or creative, is that the tool doesn't slow down the flow. If I need to explore loads of options in a design (technical or styling) I always use a tool with an infinite canvas like concepts on ipad or mischief on desktop. It allows you to continue working in all directions without the need to create a new document for every idea. You also keep track of your thinking process. That's also a good communication tool.

I don't care what tool is being used by others. The efficiency and result are more important. As an ID you need to find a good balance between efficiency, communication value and artistic value. The last one should be ok and nice to look at because it can evoke emotions, but not at a cost. For instance using a strong perspective can be very dynamic and can look sporty and aggressive, but if only a really trained eye of a designer can imagine how the product really looks like, you're off limits.

to end a note on the correctness of the visuals. Train yourself and be very critical on proportions and perspective. I often see presentations with several sketches of the same concept on one page actually showing different products. If you draw multiple viewing angles of one product it should really keep the same proportions.